To fairly review Star Wars: The Force Awakens, the Emerald decided to feature a trilogy of reviews displaying three distinct perspectives: One of a Star Wars expert who has seen every movie multiple times and read Star Wars Expanded Universe comics and books; one of a Star Wars enthusiast who grew up with the films; and one casual fan who doubted that the existence of any modern Star Wars could possibly be decent.
Update 11:46 p.m. Dec. 18: Initially, Mathew Brock was unable to find a theater with any available tickets due to astronomically high ticket demand. His review of the film is now included.
Craig Wright: Star Wars doubter
I have to confess that I am not a big Star Wars fan. The original trilogy is very enjoyable, but the only good thing that came from The Phantom Menace through Revenge of the Sith were the Star Wars Battlefront video games. Much like the Minion Movie, the advertising blitz of The Force Awakens almost made me want to throw out every screen in my house and avoid entering the supermarket for weeks. I seemed to be the only person adamant that stretching Star Wars to nine installments was a god-forsaken, horrible idea.
On occasion, it feels very good to be so wrong.
The first major chase scene of The Force Awakens involves the Millennium Falcon spinning and flipping, flying feet above the desert floor as incoming tie fighters narrowly miss their target. The camera tracks the Falcon, flipping slowly with it before stabilizing. This was the instant it hit that Star Wars is back in full force. This scene is a modern update of the awe-inspiring star destroyer flyover from 1977’s A New Hope that inspired one of the most passionate fan bases in entertainment history.
As Hollywood relies on sequels, remakes and big-budget apocalypse movies, Star Wars returns to what it does best: being a relentless action film that is as funny as it is heart racing. Fan favorite characters return, brilliantly setting the stage for newcomers Rey (Daisey Ridley), Finn (John Boyega) and villain Kylo Ren (Adam Driver). The especially emotive new droid BB-8 is a scene stealer and plays well off of any character’s dialogue and thumbs-up gestures.
The only complaints I can see people having are that Rey’s beginning is reminiscent of Luke Skywalker’s, with a seemingly random call to adventure on a desert laden planet, and (no spoiler) one of the final missions involves a nearly-identical battle plan as that of a previous Star Wars film (you’ll know it when you see it).
I left America’s only not sold-out showing of The Force Awakens with a guilty grin. Going in, I expected something as bad as The Clone Wars, but The Force Awakens is at least as enjoyable as A New Hope. My expectations were exceeded.
The ultimate question is not if it is worth seeing. It is. Now, the question is how many times you should see it and how large of a group will join you.
Believe the hype. For once, it’s warranted.
Chris Berg: Star Wars enthusiast
There’s never been a movie quite as big as Star Wars: The Force Awakens. The stakes for this film are astronomical, with Disney having spent billions on this iconic franchise. The Force Awakens has a laundry list of tasks to achieve to be considered a success. It must satisfy the massive fanbase of the original trilogy. It needs to excite new fans either too young to have ever had a connection to the series, or who come from a culture meeting these characters for the first time.
In every way that matters, The Force Awakens excels. It works as both a seamless continuation of the original iconic franchise and a launchpad for a whole new generation of adventures. But in the process, it may feel a bit too safe to stand among the franchise’s best.
The Force Awakens follows a new crew of intergalactic heroes as they cross paths with some familiar faces from the originals. It also introduces a new threat, the First Order — born from the remnants of the Empire, post-Emperor Palpatine.
The new characters are immediately charming, lovable, and unique. Unlike the stuffy, monologuing dullards of the prequels, the major new characters in The Force Awakens have great chemistry and are just a joy to watch. Rey, Finn, and Poe are all human and relatable in unique ways. Even BB-8 (the instantly iconic ‘ball droid’) bursts with personality. The returning characters are also given time to shine, with Harrison Ford delivering his best performance in years. He plays a Han Solo who hasn’t let time or personal misfortune slow down his swashbuckling ways.
Director J.J. Abram’s vision of the galaxy far, far away is ambitious, yet grounded. Practical effects and real sets own the show, accentuated by the expected digital wonders. It’s not breaking new ground, but it puts on one hell of a show that demands to be seen on the big screen.
For all of the new ideas of The Force Awakens, the film’s plot is excessively familiar. Structurally, it’s almost a retelling of A New Hope — right down to iconic plot points and moments being recreated with the new cast. This stretches past the line of homage and feels redundant. This a film that knows it has all the time in the world to tell its stories, with entire character arcs left shamelessly unfinished. It knows that any one of countless future films can keep them alive.
Overall, The Force Awakens is a tremendously enjoyable film. It’s a catalyst for a franchise that Disney never intends to finish, and that has to be pleasurable for damn near every human being on Earth. No film paints in broader strokes. Yet you can’t help but smile at its lovable characters, wild action and epic sense of wonder.

Mathew Brock: Star Wars aficionado
I was livid when I first heard that the entirety of the Star Wars Expanded Universe would no longer be considered canon so as not to conflict with Disney’s new Star Wars trilogy. Nearly 40 years worth of comics, novels, videogames and television shows that had defined a large part of my childhood had suddenly become elaborate fan-fiction. One of the most expansive and well-crafted fictional universes ever created was almost entirely erased without a second thought; it was a waste of good storytelling.
Even with this significant exclusion, I am relieved to say that Star Wars: The Force Awakens is an excellent movie. I went into the theater expecting to come out thoroughly disappointed. Instead, I left with a huge grin on my face and only the smallest tinge of remorse in my chest.
The new main characters are complex, interesting, and enjoyable to watch, but Harrison Ford still manages to steal the show with an excellent portrayal of an aged Han Solo. It’s satisfying to watch an old veteran take these newcomers under his wing and show them how a space-scoundrel with a heart-of-gold does things.
Disney has made full use of modern technology to bring a new level of immersion to the series. It was incredible to see spaceships break into pieces during dogfights and to see the marks made by blaster shots and lightsaber slashes smolder and glow after impact. The non-human characters also feel more real than ever before. The various “aliens” fit in with their surroundings and rarely trigger the uncanny valley effect like in past installments.
There are many references to the original trilogy in this new film, perhaps even to a fault. Every other scene seems to feature a recognizable prop or a clever quip referencing some event from the previous films. In fact, the movie has many so parallels and references to A New Hope that it seems like the story was written to deliberately introduce and then plug most of the noticeable plot holes from the original film.
Overall, I enjoyed the movie and would genuinely recommend it to anyone who has seen the original trilogy. It gives the franchise a modern polish without losing the tone that makes it an authentic Star Wars experience.
The Star Wars Expanded Universe, now re-branded as Star Wars Legends, will still have a special place in my heart and in my head-canon. There’s really no reason you can’t enjoy both, and in my opinion, the more Star Wars the better.